COURSE OVERVIEW
Become a professional in a field actively seeking out the next generation of talent.
The MA in Location Sound Recording for Film and Television is a comprehensive program designed to prepare you for a career in location sound recording, both on location and in a multi-camera television studio. The course has been designed to meet the industry's growing demand for highly trained sound crew for film and television productions.
Content Tabs
The NFTS has recently made some exciting changes to this course. Our A Fresh Take page tells you all you need to know!
Taught exclusively by Industry professionals, this course will give you high quality training in the theory and practice of recording sound for picture, both on location and in our state-of-the-art 4K multi-camera television studio. You will also get vital production experience, as you collaborate with fellow students in other specialisms to make several films.
This course will equip you for a variety of careers in the film and television industry, starting as a Sound Trainee and progressing to 2nd Assistant Sound, 1st Assistant Sound and then Production Sound Mixer. Course graduates have gone on to work on Academy Award, BAFTA and Emmy recognised films and television shows.
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Understand the fundamentals of sound and audio equipment.
- Operate professional location sound recording equipment effectively.
- Capture high-quality audio in various on-location settings.
- Collaborate with film and television production teams.
- Troubleshoot common sound recording issues.
- Adhere to industry standards and best practices for location sound recording.
- Demonstrate professionalism, communication, and teamwork skills in a production.
COURSE FACILITIES
We offer access to industry-standard sound location recording equipment, using the latest technology, such as Sound Devices multi-track recorders, including the 888 and 688 and radio microphone systems from Audio Ltd and Sennheiser. Plus, you'll have access to an extensive suite of microphones for all applications and Sennheiser IEM systems for production sound distribution.
Introduction to Sound
- Basics of acoustics
- Sound propagation and reflection
- Audio physics and terminology
- Practical exercises and demonstrations
Audio Equipment and Technology
- Overview of audio recording equipment
- Microphones, and mixers
- Wireless audio systems
- Recording media and formats
- Maintenance and troubleshooting
Location Sound Recording Techniques
- Pre-production sound planning
- On-set audio setup and monitoring
- Boom operation and microphone placement
- Field recording and soundscapes
- Noise reduction and sound isolation
- Working with directors, producers, and other crew members
- Effective communication and teamwork
- Understanding the script and project requirements
- On-set etiquette and professionalism
Industry Standards and Best Practices
- Safety protocols on set
- Industry regulations and unions
- Networking and career development
- Practical application of skills on real-world projects
- Internship opportunities with industry professionals
- Portfolio development
You will need a proven interest in sound - particularly recorded sound - a lively interest in film, television and music and a willingness to work as part of a team. We are looking for people who are practically minded. Interpersonal skills are as important as practical ones, because as a sound recordist, you’ll need to be able to work effectively as part of a team. You’ll also need to be fit and have plenty of energy, as sound recording can be physically demanding.
While we don’t select applicants on the basis of their ability to drive, we strongly recommend that you learn to drive, as a clean, current, driving license will be essential in your future career.
While many applicants will have a degree from a British or overseas university, we will consider applicants who do not have a degree if they have an impressive portfolio, a creative track record or an alternative qualification.
International students Visa and English language requirements
If you have any questions, please email info@nfts.co.uk
The following item(s) should accompany your online application:
- Please tell us of an event or production that you have recorded or one that you have experienced and would like to have recorded. Include information on what preparation you did and what you would have done differently. What inspired you about the event? This should not exceed 500 words.
- If you have any work that you would like to share with us please send us the links. However, this is not essential since you may not have had the opportunity to create something yet.
Applications will close at 23:59 on the day of the deadline, shown at the top of this page.
Funding Available
The NFTS awards more scholarships and bursaries to British students, relative to the size of our student body, than almost any other educational institution in the UK. If you’re successful at gaining a place on the course, you will be contacted by our funding team with details on how to apply for one of these scholarships.
Upcoming Events
Tutors
A FRESH TAKE!
We are excited to announce this MA course is part of an innovative slate of new qualifications from 2025/2026.
Student Showcase
Dive (trailer)
2023 graduation fiction
Director/Writer - Will Peppercorn
Producer - Martina Buendia Silva
Production Sound Mixer - Will Rowe
1st Assistant Sound - Jacopo Scutti
An environmental thriller set onboard an offshore oil rig out in the North Sea.
Alumni on Zoom - Sound
We speak to Oscar-winning Sound Recordist Stuart Wilson (1917, Star Wars), Ronald Bailey (Pennyworth, Silent Witness) and Caroline Singh (Cuckoo) about their careers and their journey to the NFTS.
This Is Ours (trailer)
2023 graduation fiction
Director/Writer - Simon London
Producer - Cristina Isgrò
Production Sound Mixer - Erin Millican
1st Assistant Sound - Jacob Evans
Trapped in a 1960s facility evaluating children for potential citizenship, two girls are faced with the question of human value. While their competitive conditioning sets them against each other, one’s rebellion disrupts everything and sparks a connection that neither will forget.
The Paradise Park Will Close on Fridays at Three (trailer)
2023 graduation documentary
Director - Frank Eli Martin
Producer - Tal Elkayam
Sound Recordist - Jacopo Scutti
Through a chorus of characters, this film documents the uncanny absurdism of an Israeli theme park built in the Palestinian West Bank and finds a tragic allegory for the delusions that are needed to rationalise the injustices of Israeli society.
Cadaver (trailer)
2023 graduation documentary
Director/Producer - Benjamin Kodboel
Sound Recordist - Erin Millican
An undertaker collects the bodies of people who have drowned trying to reach Spain, then repatriates them to their home countries. Now, an unusual incident is forcing him to face his own mortality.
Graduate Success
Graduates have been employed on a number of high profile television and film productions.
Recent credits include...
Adolescence
First Assistant Sound Ashley Sinani
First Assistant Sound Kyle Pickford
Sound Maintenance Chi Limpiroj
Graduate Success
Graduates have been employed on a number of high profile television and film productions.
Recent credits include...
28 Years Later
Boom Operator: Daily Bálint Csáki
First Assistant Sound Barry Coxhead
Graduate Success
Graduates have been employed on a number of high profile television and film productions.
Recent credits include...
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning
Boom Operator Hosea Ntabora
Second Assistant Sound Max Riches
Sound Mixer: Second Unit Simon Gill
Graduate Success
Graduates have been employed on a number of high profile television and film productions.
Recent credits include...
Andor Series 2
1st Assistant Sound Kyle Pickford and Michael Sinden
2nd Assistant Sound Nicholas A Ager
Boom Operator Tom Fennell
Graduate Success
Graduates have been employed on a number of high profile television and film productions.
Recent credits include...
Rivals
First Assistant Sound: Dailies Barry Coxhead
Other credits include: Code of Silence, Silo, Supacell, Black Mirror
Graduate Success
Graduates have been employed on a number of high profile television and film productions.
Recent credits include...
The Zone of Interest
Production Sound Mixer Tarn Willers
2024 Academy Award and BAFTA winning for Best Sound
Graduate Success
Graduates have been employed on a number of high profile television and film productions.
Recent credits include...
Dune 2
Key First Assistant Sound Tom Harrison
Other credits include: Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One, Spider-Man: Far From Home
Graduate Success
Graduates have been employed on a number of high profile television and film productions.
Recent credits include...
Barbie
Sound Mixer Nina Rice
Other credits include: Saltburn, This Is Going To Hurt, The Crown
